Scent of a Scandal
by SweetieLove
Summary: A controversial scandal's happening in Mineral Town and it's up to the young bachelorettes to solve the hidden mystery before they lose the home they care for. A brand new breeze is rolling by them, and it isn't something they'll want to mess with. Chapter Four: The Witness.
1. The Private Investigator

_Author's Note: A lovely thank you for the awesome Moonlit Dreaming for elegantly editing this story. I'm sliding into different genres right now, and this will be my current project before Winter sets in. Hope you guys like it!  
_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon. I, however, love cookies._

* * *

_Hello there! My name is Elli. How can I help you?_

* * *

Elli was never the type of person to dilly-dally.

She'd wake up early in the morning, prepare breakfast for the family, give her grandmother the proper dosage for her medicine, fix Stu up for the day and then start her work at the Clinic. Even then, her work wasn't quite finished yet.

Once she made her presence known to the doctor, she'd head to the cleaning closet and start sweeping the floor, polishing the medicine on the shelves behind her and would have reported the previous day's accomplishments to her boss before a single patient appeared at the Clinic.

With Elli's busy schedule, she always had a hard time keeping up with the goings-on in Mineral Town. Except via one method: Her friends' visits.

Sticking her nose into anyone's business was something she had never wanted to do. She was a hard worker, not a backstabber. A shoulder to cry on and a person who was always ready and willing to lend a hand to anyone in need.

But desperate times call for desperate measures. And Elli had never been more desperate in her life.

She had considered herself to be Popuri's best friend since they were young. All the girls in town considered each one to be the closest of friends to the point of sisterhood. But there was always that deep understanding between the nurse and the poultry farmer that reached far deeper than the others. But due to certain circumstances, their special bond might somehow break into pieces.

Everything started with a rumor. That's what usually happens in Mineral Town.

The nurse was just finishing up the check-up for Lillia with the doctor when the former motioned to talk to her in a corner. It was a shock for Elli, since it was rare for their special patient to disclose information in such an exclusive manner. But nonetheless, it caught the nurse's interest.

"How have you been doing, Elli?" Lillia asked once they'd both sat down on the nearby sofas in the Clinic.

"I'm sorry, Miss Lillian, but I can't take breaks while I'm at work." She tried to stand up but the old matron's words caught her off guard.

"I asked the Doctor for permission so you don't have to worry. It's about Popuri, dear. And I need you to investigate something very important for me." With her curiosity getting the better of her, Elli finally sat down once more and faced her best friend's mother with wondering eyes.

"Have you heard the rumors flying around lately, Elli?" she asked, once the Doctor was well out of earshot.

"I'm not the type of person to actually pry into other people's business, Miss Lillia. Unless I'm concerned with their case that is. Or their health for that matter."

A look of disappointment appeared on the patient's face. Taking in a deep breath, she gave the nurse the bits of information she had been collecting from her friend, Sasha, during her visits.

"I'm sure you've developed quite a bond with my daughter, correct?" Elli nodded. "Have you heard how Popuri's doing lately?"

"The last time I've been able to spend time with Poppy was when we took a small picnic in the mountains. It's Spring now, right? If my memory serves me right, that was Summer last year. We've been so busy lately that we never had the time to catch up with each other."

"And?"

"She told me that Kai confessed that he loved her. There was even a point in our conversation where she was predicting when he would propose and all that."

"Is that all?"

"I'm very sorry. That's all the information I can remember from her."

"Didn't you notice anything peculiar that time?

"Well, there's also the fact that we found a single-stemmed rose in the mountains. That was practically it."

A sigh came from Lillian's lips as she folded her hands together. "Elli, after our conversation, I want you to check out all the backgrounds of the people involved, alright?"

"Yes. I have the folders regarding the backgrounds of everyone in Mineral Town. Is it important?"

"Its importance will depend on how you will understand the situation after our conversation."

A shiver ran down Elli's spine as she readied herself for what would happen. A nurse needs to be ready for anything life throws at you, her mother once said. She always took it as her motto and, sometimes, her mantra when she was faced with problems. Especially the ones regarding her grandmother. But her parents taught her well. Keep calm amidst the danger; that's a sign of a truly professional nurse. To be ready anytime, anywhere.

"I'm ready to hear it, Miss Lillia."

A nod and a reassuring smile. Though both women knew that the news would definitely be unpleasant.

"Years have passed since my daughter and the exotic traveler… formed quite a bond. They were always together during the beach season. It'll come as no surprise to anyone around here that they'd be considered a couple, sooner or later. Do you follow me?"

"Yes, yes, I do. I still remember her talking about their first Fireworks Festival together. I've never seen her that happy before."

"That's right. Their first festival together was the first seed of their relationship. I can't blame my daughter for falling in love with him, though. He was sweet and he was able to make my daughter happy when I cannot." Lillia glanced sideways before she continued.

"But things haven't been that… savory lately. It's true that Kai _did_ confess his love for Popuri, but even I can't guarantee that it will last forever."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember when the new farmer, Claire, came to work here in Mineral Town?"

"I know her quite well. She's always more than willing to give us some of the herbs she finds in the mountains for us to produce the medicine we need."

"But, I've been noticing it lately…"

"Noticing what lately…?"

"The roses."

"Roses? You don't mean…"

"I do. Recall what you and Popuri saw in the mountain. A single-stemmed red rose lying underneath the bushes, correct?"

"Yes. Yes, but…"

Lillian held up her hand as she stood to leave. She still held her tender smile, yet a wave of sadness crossed her features right after.

"Elli, dear, I have to go. Rick will get worried if I don't show up at the farm in ten minutes."

Elli smoothed her skirt as she escorted Lillia to the door of the Clinic. She turned the knob and handed over the patient's prescription before she walked outside.

"Elli. I don't have it in me to do much work, but I trust that you'll look into this matter, alright? I trust you. I believe that single-stemmed rose to be quite important."

And with that, Lillia slowly walked away.

Elli quickly rushed in to get a hold on the folders before the Doctor himself examined them.

* * *

No, she thought, this can't be.

The papers Elli held in her very fingers seemed to weigh heavily on her soul. She had trouble imagining that what was written there to be true. She was sure that the Doctor himself examined everyone in town to the very best of his ability. And she was even surer that she recorded every piece of information with utmost accuracy.

"But why aren't things adding up?" she asked herself.

She read the files twice, thrice and another three more times before checking up on the Doctor. It had gotten quite late as it was almost closing time. She felt very relieved that no customer entered the Clinic during the hours she spent reading and absorbing the contents of the file.

Before leaving, she made a mental note to herself not to speak of this to anyone except those she deemed truly trustworthy. She checked the files once more, reassuring herself that it was no dream that had befallen her.

It was no dream alright; it was a living nightmare.

Elli pulled out a drawer beneath her desk and took out a notebook.

She began to write a small summary of what she had discovered after pouring over the background of the people she believed were involved: Kai, Popuri and Claire.

_Claire: Current farmer. Was once a botanist before working in an office in the city. Dated many men before coming to Mineral Town._

_Points of interest: Roses are her favorite flower._

_Kai: Traveler, comes to Mineral Town during the Summer. Confessed his feelings for Poppy but Lillia suspects him of having an attraction to someone else._

_Points of interest: Has strong influence with people and is friends with Zack._

_Popuri: Poultry farmer, currently in a relationship with Kai. Believes that they are meant to be together forever. Not suspicious regarding Kai's movements._

Elli's hands shook as she wrote the last words.

_Points of interest: Extremely high possibility of inheriting her mother's disease._

* * *

_I'm Elli and I work as nurse at the Mineral Town Clinic._

_And a private investigator when needed._


	2. The Archivist

_Hello and welcome to the Mineral Town Library. I'm Mary, the local librarian and it's a pleasure to meet you._

* * *

Mary was a devoted worker.

She loved doing her job at the Library and never once complained about any of its aspects. Sure, she may have been isolated from the town at times, but that thought never occurred to her when she was busy immersing herself in a different dimension, exploring worlds unknown to the human mind. She loved getting to know characters that played out their stories for everyone to read and snippets of their lives coming to life in Mary's mind.

And when inspiration struck, Mary would quickly grab her pen and start creating a different world of her own.

It was just another sunny morning when Mary was writing her latest novel. A mystery novel, to be specific. She had just finished reading her latest copy of Sherlock Holmes and she couldn't wait to try writing something filled with mystery and suspense.

To be frank, she was ecstatic.

Mary was just finishing up the catalogues for the books when somebody suddenly opened the door to her safe haven. Startled, she accidentally knocked over a few papers that caused her glasses to slip away from her face.

"Wh-Who is it?" she asked, hands searching frantically for her trusted glasses.

"It's Elli, Mary. And I need your help." She handed Mary the fallen glasses before placing a file on her desk.

A very thick and large file at that. Were her eyes deceiving her?

"Thank you for helping me with my glasses, Elli. But what is that large file for?"

She bit her lip before answering. "Someone asked me to investigate a rather… delicate manner. These were my findings and…"

"And…?"

"And I was hoping to get some assistance from the only first-rate archivist around here."

The librarian smiled before she began to lock the door for the Library. After making sure no one was around hanging by the street corner, she turned her attention towards the files.

She noticed that the file given to her by Elli was divided into three parts concerning three different backgrounds. Mary took a quick scan before looking back at the nurse.

"You do know that the information you gave me is quite lacking, Elli?" She adjusted her glasses before separating the contents of the file on her desk.

One folder with a picture of Popuri stapled at the front along with another one, only that Kai's picture was stapled on, were placed at her desk. The folder of the new farmer, Claire, however, never left her hands.

Mary was flipping through Claire's general background information when Elli peeped up, "The information is lacking, true, but that's the reason I came here after all. I've meticulously read through their backgrounds at the Clinic and wrote down all the important details on the files I gave you."

"And you did a great job at that, too. But that doesn't mean I understand what you want me to help you with, though."

The brunette took a deep breath and sat down at a nearby table, eyes distant and hands shaking from anxiety. "A lot of questions popped up before me after I read through their folders. The most likely cause will have to be the lack of information found in the Clinic." She faced the librarian with a smile. "I thought that the best place to go to for gathering information would be here."

Mary was now flipping through the pages of Popuri's file. She saw numerous blank spaces in her background page and only at least a page of extra information. Compared to Kai's and Claire's files, which lasted for at least three pages, hers was very short and brief.

"Why is Popuri's page… empty?" Mary said with a confused expression.

"As I said, gathering information is best found here."

"But where should we start? We can't downright ask Popuri herself regarding the matter without making her suspicious about our motives."

Elli shook her head, wondering if Sherlock Holmes was a bad influence on Mary's style of speech. "I know where we can start. We'll start with Lillia's disease. I'm afraid that's the only lead I have concerning Popuri." The nurse looked away before Mary saw a few drops escape from her face.

Wiping her tears away with the sleeve of her dress, Elli stood up and started looking for books regarding plants that could help them know more about Lillia's incurable disease.

Mary, moving without the need for a signal, went upstairs to start her search there. She started grabbing leather-bound and paperback books from the shelves and placed them on a nearby carpet. She also started searching for documents regarding previous ailments that had struck in Mineral Town. Once she finished piling up the books on the carpet, Mary sat down, placed a piece of paper beside her, tucked her pen behind her ear and started reading.

Elli, however, took a slower approach when it came to research. She was flipping through an old, worn book placed on the top shelf of the farthest bookcase. It was red with a gold, embellished crest on the center and leather straps etched across the spine.

It was filled with pictures of various flora taken from all over the world.

"This must be one of Mr. Basil's books," Elli thought aloud as she continued to scan through the pages of the book. She saw flowers with petals changing color when exposed to different weather conditions, plants that you can eat on the spot when you're in dire need of food and all sorts of trees whose bark can help in producing supplements for people at any age.

The nurse lost herself in the world of new possibilities all trapped beneath her fingers. This book, lying in her hands, held the power to make miracles for the greater good, and the good of all mankind. She would be able to help and accommodate more people along her way if she knew more about the possibilities of medicine. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice her grip on the book loosening and it slowly falling to the floor…

…and red petals exploded from its pages.

* * *

Mary was just finishing up her research when she heard the sharp shriek coming from downstairs. She closed the book she was holding and tucked her notes in her pocket before she rushed down the stairs, glasses foggy and braid messy.

"Elli, what in the world happ—"

Mary's words got caught in her throat as she took in the sight of the wilting rose petals scattered across the floor. She looked at Elli and saw that her expression wasn't one of shock or surprise.

Rather, it was one of dread and fear.

Mary quickly collected the petals of the floor and stored them in a small jar on her desk. She settled Elli down on one of the chairs.

"I… I didn't know what came over me… I screamed, I…"

"Hush, Elli," Mary comforted, "I'm sure anyone would've been shocked at the sight of rose petals falling from a very unused book here in the Library. Maybe someone just used the petals as a bookmark and forgot to remove it when they returned it here." She gave Elli's hand a small squeeze before she returned and sat down on her desk to examine the petals. She grabbed her magnifier from her drawer and started looking at the specimen with her pencil when something in the pattern of the veins felt familiar to her.

"Wait a second, Elli…"

She stood up and went to Elli when she saw Gray approaching from the corner turning to her Library.

"Elli, meet me here right before closing time, alright? I'll need to talk to you with something." Mary whispered these words with such a sense of urgency, that when Gray knocked on the door, she knew immediately what to do. They shared a nod before Mary unlocked the door and welcomed Gray in.

"Hello Gray, welcome to the Library. I had to help Elli with a few errands and I just returned from our little expedition."

"Uh, sure," Gray muttered.

"I'll be going now. Thank you for the help, Mary-Bear." Elli hugged the librarian and nodded towards the blacksmith before scurrying off towards the street.

"Mary-Bear, was it?" Gray asked with growing curiosity.

"My nickname ever since I was a kid. Popuri started that though." Mary smiled at the memory of them playing in the field and calling each other names before they settled on one they liked.

It wasn't long before Mary gave a questioning look to Gray as to why he was staring at her.

"I'm just not used to seeing your braid messy and out of place."

Mary couldn't help but giggle. "Would you like to try fixing it?"

The blacksmith just shrugged and smiled as he started undoing her braid.

He was smiling this time, and Mary was quite saddened at the thought of not being able to tell him what they were really doing.

She held onto to the piece of paper in her pocket and wished that night would come faster.

* * *

It was just past sunset when Elli met with Mary right outside of the Library. Nobody was walking around the streets, but they both knew it wasn't before long the other villagers would start walking down their way towards their respective homes.

"We need to make this quick. I'm not sure how long Grandmother can distract Stu while I'm away. What did you want to tell me about?"

The bespectacled girl whispered in hushed tones. "A cure. A cure for Popuri's disease."

"We can cure Lillia?" gasped Elli.

"No. It's too late to cure her but we can still save Popuri's life if we can just get our hands on the rose…"

"The rose? Like the petals that fell out of the book I was reading?"

"Yes, it's a bit complicated to explain right now but we can procure medicine for Popuri if we act now. But we have a problem."

"And what is that?"

"Kai was the one who borrowed that book from the Library last year. And according to the records, Claire's a former botanist…"

"You can't mean…?"

"Yes, I do. My question is simply, 'How could have she known that?'"

Right before Elli could offer her opinion on the matter, the girls both heard Stu's jolly laugh from their home and the incoming footsteps from the other townsfolk. They bid each other a pleasant night before giving each other a hug and walking their ways towards their families.

To the ordinary villager, it might seem that they were simply having a friendly chat under the twilight sky.

The villagers should have known better.

* * *

_I'm Mary, the local librarian of Mineral Town._

_And an expert archivist when my assistance is needed._


	3. The Inquisitor

**A/N**: Finally posted after how many months of not updating! The next chappie's halfway done so it'll only be a matter of time before I update. Styles will change depending on the person's perspective. Since Ann's a busybody, I thought of a more direct approach when it comes to communication compared to Mary and Elli's.

* * *

_Hi there! They call me Ann around here since I'm the barmaid._

_Can I get you anything you like?_

* * *

It was a rare occasion when this happens. An inquisition, they would say, or an interrogative assessment. For Ann, it was just her job.

Ann walked her way up to Saibara, who was signaling her out for a second glass.

"Hey, Ann!"

"Hello there, Saibara! Here's your glass."

"Ah, revitalizing as ever. Where'd you get all that energy? Gray should take more lessons from you when it comes to working habits."

"I'm flattered but I'm just doing my job. No need to give me praise for all that."

"Hohoho! The wonders of youth."

Ann stepped back and went to the kitchen to refill out the pitchers she was holding. Bottles of wine quickly filled up in the table where she placed all the drinks for the night. There were bottles of all kinds of wine lined up alongside different herbs and juices that she and her father had garnered over the years. And on the end of the table, laid a lone tea cup filled with sweet rose tea.

"I wonder who was drinking this?"

"I was actually," said Mary.

Ann jumped in surprise as she heard Mary's soft voice pierce the kitchen.

"Mary!" she squeaked before sitting down across from her, "You gave me quite a heart attack over there!"

The librarian only nodded and sipped her tea in response.

"What are you doing in here, by the way? The rest are having a rowdy time outside at the bar." Ann grabbed a nearby glass and wiped it using a towel she stored in one of her pockets. She looked at Mary's eyes in search of an answer, but Mary's gaze was distant, if not too serious.

"Something's not right, Ann. We're going to need your help."

At these words, the innkeeper lowered her eyes to avoid eye contact with librarian. She stood up and locked the door towards the kitchen before returning to her seat.

"I'm sorry, Mares, but I don't want to do that line of work anymore…" She took a deep breath before placing the glass she was wiping onto the table and grabbing the nearest one to her right.

Mary adjusted her glasses before speaking once more. "Look, Ann. I know that one of the reasons Aja and Joanna may have left town is because of our secret job with Elli and Karen. It may have resulted in that in the end, but we can still use this for something good."

"Something good? When has this ever resulted in something good?"

"Well, for one thing, we now know what's wrong with Lillia and Ellen."

"What's the good thing about that if we can't even find a cure?"

"Wrong, Ann. With this new case we have here, the solution may be right be in front of our eyes without us realizing it."

The redhead widened her eyes in shock.

"You're kidding, right?"

"I'm afraid I'm not," she replied, with a tone of finality.

For Ann, this could actually be the thing to actually convince her to do her previous job as an inquisitor around the townsfolk. It would be nice if her job actually contributed for the greater good in the village. Still, one question about the mission kept nagging in her conscience.

"Who presented the case now? And why?"

"The case was presented to Elli by Lillia. As to why, I don't fully understand, but it may be because of Popuri's involvement."

"Poppy?"

"She isn't the only one, though. Kai and Claire are included for this investigation."

Ann widened her eyes in surprise and slowly clenched her jaw. "Looks like this is going to be a lot messier than I expected. Can you fill me in on any important things I should know?"

Mary glanced at the door before producing out a small note she had kept in her pocket for a while now. "I was just talking to Elli a while ago near the Library. We found out some things that may be hard to believe at first, but it cannot be disputed with the evidence surrounding it." Ann quickly took hold of the paper and skimmed it through, keeping herself aware of all the important marks in the notes Mary wrote in.

"Botanist. Borrowed book. Rose Petals. Medical background…" Ann was about to finish the note when she heard her father call her from behind the door. She stood up and unlocked the door to find a stern-looking Doug right in front of her.

"Was there a pressing need for you to lock the door, Ann?"

"Mary asked for a little privacy."

"Couldn't you have done it in your room?"

"I was cleaning the glasses, see?" she showed her father the counter whivh was filled with upside down glasses and a smiling Mary sitting in the bench across from it. "So I wouldn't waste any time at all."

Doug looked at Mary's direction and nodded in acknowledgement before turning back to his daughter. "You might want to get out there and serve some drinks. They seem to miss you already."

"Shame that I won't miss them until tomorrow comes."

* * *

"So, you heard anything lately?" Ann asked as she poured another glass for Duke. He was already showing signs of intoxication which made it a lot easier for Ann to extract information from him.

"Not much. I don't gossip about the townsfolk like my wife does with her friends, but I get enough to keep me updated with the goings-on around here and the other villages." He gulped down his glass and gestured at the waitress to fill it up again.

"Anything interesting you'd like to share?" Ann emptied the last of the grape wine onto Duke's glass without realizing it. She placed it beside her chair before grabbing for another bottle under the table. She placed her fingers on her trusty tool to remove corkscrews in jiffy.

"For one, I heard that Karen and Rick are having some turbulence in their marriage."

The cork went out with a _pop! _The words started sinking in only when she was already bending down to refill his glass.

"Wait. Karen and Rick are having problems lately? Why?"

"Started a week ago, Manna said. They were having arguments every time she passed by around the supermarket or the farm. I'm guessing it's concerning Rod."

"Rod… Lillia's husband…"

"And Rick and Popuri's father. Rick plans on settling his differences with Kai and start looking for Rod with his help."

The bottle Ann was holding nearly slipped from her grasp. _This can't be_, she thought, _first Poppy and then Karen?_

It seemed a while before Ann could properly find the words to say. "Wow… I never realized that Rick could… could leave Mineral Town."

"He's a grown man, I'm sure he'll do fine."

"I-I'm sure he will. But what about Lillia and Popuri?"

"Karen always treated Popuri like a little sister and she's more than ready to help take care of the farm, if needed. I'm just not keen on her being ready yet to take responsibility of the chicken farm."

Ann took a deep breath, "Thank you for the talk, Duke. Try not to go too overboard with the wine now."

He chuckled as she left, "I make these, Ann. I know where my limits are."

Ann went back to the kitchen to get the bottles of rice wine Saibara always visited them for. After carefully placing them on a tray, she gave a quick refill of wine for Cliff before sitting down next to Saibara, who learned to control his words in this town the more he aged.

"Good evening, Saibara."

"Good evening there, Ann."

"You heard anything lately?"

The blacksmith burst out in laughter. "Ah! Fishing for gossip, now?"

"No. I'm just trying to keep up with the goings-on around here." She rolled her eyes. "Anything interesting?"

"I've heard something, but it's not much."

"Something's a lot better than nothing in my book."

"Ho ho ho. Looks like we got some spunk now, eh? How about you sit down for a while? I'm sure this won't be long and you definitely need some rest."

Ann sat down on the chair next to Saibara and sets down the tray on the table. She noticed that his cup still remained full when he spoke. "You're not getting your usual fill."

"I'm not tired as usual today. Gray's been improving ever since Mary came into the shop and bandaged his hand. It did a lot to discipline him and everything."

"That's great news! I'm delighted to hear it."

"Although we do encounter a few quarrels here and then…"

Interest piqued, Ann moved in a little closer, "Quarrels about what, Saibara?"

"Gray has been a bit conflicted as of late." The man looked down at his cup, avoiding the barmaid's curious gaze.

"Conflicted?"

"It seems that he's involved with the current 'scandal' that's happening right here in Mineral Town if my guesses are correct. If not involved, he seems to be deeply affected."

For a while, Ann wondered if Mary told Gray about their secret circle. Not a single soul in Mineral Town knew that their secret circle was working again and she hoped that it would stay that way. Not that she didn't trust Gray, but there are times when his temper took shouting to a whole new level and words spilled out of his mouth without him even thinking. She hoped that Mary hadn't done anything of the sort.

"Wait, what kind of scandal are you referring to anyway?"

"I'd like to give you more information but it is not my right to. Maybe you can ask Claire's brother, Jack."

"From Forget-Me-Not Valley?"

"Yes, but he's staying here for a little while, so I've heard. I believe that's him standing at the bar." He pointed to where Karen usually sat and the redhead saw that Saibara was right. The coffee-haired farmer seemed to be in deep conversation with Rick, while Karen seemed to be fine spending the night alone as she finished her sixth bottle of wine.

"Thanks for the talk, Saibara. Would you like another cup of rice wine?" She said as Ann grabbed her tray and stood up from her spot.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. You go and continue your night, young lady."

"You too."

Ann made a quick circle around the Inn to serve the rest of the villagers their drinks before returning to the kitchen to put down her tray and grab a glass of water. _How am I going to approach Jack?_ she thought. It took a few more glasses of water before she finally stocked in some more bottles for her tray and finally went back out to serve the drinks. To her surprise, Jack and Rick had stopped talking since the latter had been trying to control Karen's actions.

"Hey there, Rick, Karen, Jack." She nodded to each one before settling down the drinks on the counter and sat beside the farmer.

"I didn't know you were staying tonight, Jack. What made you come all the way here?"

"That's something private. I'll tell everyone when the times comes. Don't worry about the rooms, though. You're Dad made sure I got a bed to sleep in tonight." Jack sipped at his beer.

"Wait a second…" Ann thought for a moment, "The boys' room will definitely be full since Kai's staying again for the summer."

"Your father said I can stay in the girls' room for tonight since there aren't any guests staying there. I won't be staying here for long anyway, since I know that in a week or so, tourists will be coming here soon."

"Awesome, man. You really know your stuff."

They both laughed at her remark. The redhead started to relax in his presence, making sure that she was still aware of her task at hand.

"How's your sister?" Ann asked.

"Shouldn't I be the one to ask you that?"

"Nonsense! You think I have time to go outside after spending my day at the Inn looking like this?" Ann pointed at her stained overalls and messy braid. "Besides, the days I usually get to have some fresh air outside are the times I can't find your sister in the village."

"Good point. One of the reasons I actually came here was to visit her and see how's she's doing. Last time I heard from her in one of her letters, she was having quite the summer romance."

"Summer romance? You can't mean Kai, right?"

"I'm afraid so."

"That can't be true! Kai's been going out with Popuri for years now. Surely Claire's not assuming that they broke up a few days ago?

"What? You're lying!"

"I am so not lying! Ask anybody around here." Ann gestured towards Rick to find that he was dragging Karen towards the door. It seemed that Karen had drank too much again.

Jack was suddenly at a loss for words. "But… she said…"

"Who's 'she'?"

"Popuri. She said… she wasn't dating anybody at the moment."

Ann's stomach gave a lurch. For a moment there, she thought that Jack was just playing around with like they would normally do every time he came to visit his sister. One look at his stricken face was enough proof for Ann that he wasn't. She closed her eyes and calmed her nerves down.

"You know what? How about we forget about it? I'm sure I just got my information in a loop. Popuri wouls never cheat on anyone. She may be bubbly but she's loyal and honest."

"I hope that. Can you talk to Popuri for me? I just need that clarification."

"I'm going to their place tomorrow anyway. It's just like hitting two birds with one stone."

"Thanks, Ann. I owe you."

If only he knew what her true intentions were.

* * *

"This is wrong."

Ann stood in front of the poultry farmers' abode, readying her hand to knock when she started having second thoughts. Before she could turn her back on her plan, Rick opened the door with an uncontrolled shriek.

"Sorry for being here this early, Rick. I couldn't tell you last night since you suddenly walked off with Karen."

There was a sudden glint in Rick's eyes that Ann saw before he it disappeared from her view.

"Well, I'd rather not talk about it," he said sadly.

"Is Popuri there?" Ann questioned hastily, trying to avoid any awkward silence between the two of them. The question shook Rick out of his dark mood and brightly replied, "No. She went to the spring a while ago but I'm sure she'll be back. You can wait for her inside."

"Okay then. Thanks Rick!"

She went inside as he got out to feed their chickens in the coop. Ann greeted Lillia as she entered their home and took a seat on their couch. Feeling a bit uncomfortable to be in Lillia's presence alone, she piped up if she could wait for Popuri in their room upstairs instead, to which the pink-haired lady consented swiftly.

Ann climbed up the stairs to their room and sat down on Popuri's bed. She spread her arms around the mattress when she felt something under the blankets.

"Popuri's diary," Ann cooed. Her conscience battled over she should read the contents or not. It tortured her, having to choose between invading Popuri's privacy or helping the greater good. In the end, she grabbed the diary and opened it to reveal that it only had one entry so far.

_Dear Diary,_

_When was the last time I wrote in diaries, huh? Months ago, I guess, since I ran out of notebooks to write in. I'm lucky Mary got me this instead of another book. I really needed another person to talk to right now since my family's been in a mess._

_Ever since Dad left, Mom's been getting paler and weaker by the day. But the thing is, she's worrying a lot more for me rather than for herself. I'm nineteen for goodness sake. I'm still young, healthy, and strong to add too! So I don't see why my Mom's getting worried unless she knows that I'm getting more and more tired recently. Maybe Rick's working me too hard... I'm going to tell him about that later with Mom._

_Talking about Rick, he's been getting cold lately. Not as in sick though. Who'd get sick in the middle of Summer? He's been distant towards us, including Karen. I don't want to ask why but it's been bugging me lately. That probably started a few days ago, the last time Jack visited here._

_Speaking of Jack, I don't know what to do. He's a very nice and sweet guy. Any girl would be lucky to have him in their life, especially since he's so dedicated and loyal to his friends! But I'm starting to see him more as a friend lately. I know it's wrong… but he's just so adorable and gentle that I can't help myself if I'm feeling that way._

_But then there's Kai. Debonair and charming Kai. He really knows how to make me swoon and sigh after him every time he passes by yet he shows his genuine feelings when it's just the two of us. He isn't afraid of showing people that he can take care of me like a gentleman he is. He loved me for the past two years since I've been dating him and we've been going strong ever since then. My feelings haven't changed, but why is it every time I see Jack I want to be by his side, hold his hand and run my fingers through his messy brown hair?_

_I don't know what to do, Diary. Goddess, give me the guidance to do what is right after all the mess my family's entangled in right now._

_Lovingly yours,  
Poppy-bear_

Ann quickly placed back the diary right near Popuri's blankets once she heard that she had arrived from her trip in the Goddess Spring. She leapt to her feet and walked to the stairs when her pink hair started emerging from the steps.

"Oh, hey Ann! I didn't see you at the Spring a while ago."

"I came straight here. Sorry if I didn't tell you in advance."

The chicken farmer giggled before holding Ann's hands in her own. "I don't mind, silly. Just tell me next time when you want to visit so we could've baked you some cookies."

"Oh, um, sure." Ann rubbed the back of head and quickly started thinking of an excuse to Popuri so that she could leave, now having sufficient information in her hands through her diary.

"What brings you here, by the way?"

"I…uh…" Ann was grasping for straws when something interesting popped into her mind.

"Have you seen Mary lately? I was thinking of having a…"

"Slumber party?"

"Uh, yeah, just the three of us. Girl time and all that…?"

"That's going to be awesome, Annie-kins! Invite Elli too!" Popuri bounced excitedly.

"Sure, Poppy. Anything for you. Just came here if you liked the idea, that's all." Ann quickly sidestepped out of Popuri's way towards the stairs and quickly went out of the door. She was glad to have wriggled her way out of that one.

Ann made her way towards the Library where she saw a worried Elli making her way there, too.

* * *

"Who's going to talk first?"

The two of them sat down at different tables so as to avoid suspicion from any villagers who passed by the Library while Mary sat by her usual desk, perusing a few documents she found in the bookshelves upstairs. They faced each other naturally and found it easy to speak in normal volumes due to the Library's tight space.

"I'm going first," Elli said, flipping a nearby book while slowly drawing out a file from inside her skirt's pocket. "Mine's only short. I've found out that before Claire started opening up her own herb shop in the city, she was a former botanist who helped in making medicine out of organic things." She took a deep breath before continuing, "I've deduced that Claire can help in procuring a solution for Lillia's disease if she was given the right materials."

"I've found the materials you might be looking for, Elli," Mary chirped in, "It's a bit complicated compared to what I've read before, but with Claire's experience she may do this properly."

"Everything's going to be—"

"A large mess," Ann finished. She couldn't believe that all she could add to their investigation was merely rumors with no hard proof whatsoever.

"A mess?" Elli asked.

"Yes. Mineral Town's facing a complicated web over here and there's nothing I can think of on how to untangle the mess!"

"Please carry on with the tales, Ann. We'll be patient," Mary said, getting a piece of paper and writing notes as quickly as she could.

"It starts with Rick and Karen's marriage. They're facing problems and it seems that it's tearing the two apart."

"I've been hearing them argue outside the Clinic for a while now. I guess this is where it's leading to, then." Elli sighed.

"It's regarding Rod's departure. Rick's planning on moving out and finding his father himself." The pair didn't respond but their reactions were evident in their faces.

Ann went to the bookshelf to marvel at the leather bound spines and stayed there before speaking. "And Jack's in town, too."

"To visit his sister?"

"Yes, but that's where things get a bit more complicated. We all know that Kai and Popuri have been seeing each other for years, right? I mean, they're always together during the Summer, they write letters to each other, they never forget to send gifts and all the enchilada. But Popuri's seeing Jack, too."

"What?" Elli inquired.

"Come Again?" Mary crossed out some information from her notes and took another piece of paper from her desk.

"Popuri's seeing Jack and Kai both at the same time without the guys realizing it. Except Jack now, I guess," Ann said, leaning her head on a nearby shelf, "And, what's worse, I remember seeing Kai with Claire walking near the forest together. I'm not sure if Claire has seen Kai with Popuri during the last few days since she's always in the mines, if not in her farm, lately. Once Claire gets a hold of what's happening right now, she's bound to get mad. And no amount of convincing can make her create the medicine we need for Poppy."

"This… this is a disaster," Elli cried.

"Saibara told me last night that Gray was somehow involved, though I haven't got a chance to talk to him yet. This is Saibara we're talking about and even he is getting concerned for his grandson affairs. This must be something serious." Ann exhaled, glad to remove everything out of her chest.

"I think we'll need more information from them before we can all sort this out." Mary finally squeaked. "How about we go meet here later in the afternoon after we squeeze out some more information?"

The girls all agreed in their plans when something caught their ears.

They heard a scream slice through the peaceful atmosphere in Mineral Town.

It was Karen's voice.

* * *

_I'm known as Ann around here. Serving food by day…_

… _Serving questions by night._


	4. The Witness

A/N: I decided to try a different style for Karen's chapter. Expect that the next chapter will have a somewhat different style, too. Sorry for the long wait! Here's the next chapter. :)

* * *

_Everyone here calls me Karen._

_Anything you need at the Supermarket?_

* * *

It was another nightmare. Just another nightmare.

Karen awoke in her bed, staring back at the daft ceiling she'd become accustomed with for two decades. Beads of sweat covered her delicate face, her mouth dry from the scream. Was it her own voice that she heard? Or somebody else's? Karen didn't think so. And yet, she couldn't trust herself anymore to believe her own words.

"Take a deep breath, girl. Just take a deep breath."

Breathing heavily, Karen sat up and scanned the room. Same old bed, same old family picture sitting on top of the drawer beside her, same old giant portrait of the Kappa hanging right there on the wall. But something was different. Something felt different in the atmosphere.

The brunette took another deep breath and that's when she felt it. No, she smelled it.

Roses. The scent of roses still lingered on her skin.

But maybe it wasn't roses – just something that just smelled really close to it? No matter. It sent out a fragrance of passion and intoxication that reminded her of wine. Could it be wine, too? A whiff maybe, but still, the passionate smell took her senses away.

"Maybe I just got a hangover. Where was I last night?"

Karen got up and went to change her clothes. She looked like a mess. Her hair was sticking out in all directions, her breath still stunk of alcohol, her eyes were bloodshot from her usual rendezvous to the beach, her clothes were stiff from last night's visit to the beach…

Ah! The beach!

The puzzle pieces were slowly connecting in Karen's mind.

The wine. The beach. The scent of roses. The laughter and kisses. The passion under the moon. The lies that covered their true intentions. And Karen was there, there to witness it all in their true glory…

She had to tell it someone. Anyone.

"No, not just anyone. I've got to tell Elli."

The brunette's pace quickened as she tried to connect all the pieces on her head.

But who was she to interrupt in their scandal? It wasn't any of her business. She had her own problems to deal with anyway. Why would she even dare meddle in someone else's shoes? After all, it was just Claire and Kai.

They were both adults perfectly capable of handling themselves.

Karen exited her room to see that her father, Jeff, was alone in the Supermarket. As usual. But he somehow seemed paler and his eyes evidently showed shock.

"Dad, are you alright?" Karen asked, snapping her fingers in front of Jeff's face. He wasn't making a single sound, which worried Karen even more.

"Dad, relax, won't you? That's what you get when you work too much around here." Karen started shaking Jeff's shoulders when she looked at his direction.

There in the entrance stood Kai and Claire, staring at Karen, mouths agape.

"Can someone tell why you all look so surprised?" Karen asked, clearly annoyed. No one had uttered a single word ever since she entered the Supermarket. Not knowing what was going on was one of the things she most hated.

"Excuse me, dear. I'd better just get… some medication," Jeff mumbled. He turned on his heel and hurriedly proceeded to his room.

The couple just kept on staring in his direction until the door closed behind him.

"What was that all about?" Karen flipped her hair before settling herself behind the counter. "What can I get you two?"

That's when Karen noticed the one thing her mind had been ignoring for a while. It wasn't because she didn't want to see it, nor was it the fact that she was outright ignoring it. It was just the fact that it was right in front of her and she had no idea as to how acknowledge it. Not able to think straight, the facts exploded in front of her face and she needed more time to recover.

Kai and Claire were holding hands. And on Claire's left ring finger, was the ring Popuri had given to Kai on their anniversary last year.

But it wasn't the ring that bothered Karen's conscience.

It was the blue feather Kai was holding on his hand.

Karen wasn't so sure if it was because of the throbbing in her head, or the fact that she hasn't eaten anything for breakfast and lunch, or the fact that so many things crashed down on her at the same time, but she needed a form of release. It was like carrying a giant sack of flour that you just want to throw on the floor because you realized that your back has started to ache. But there wasn't any wine available on her reach, nor was there a friend to grab onto.

She screamed.

A high-pitched shriek pierced through the air.

Silence.

Then white spots covered Karen's vision.

Darkness fell over her.

* * *

Karen woke to a throbbing sensation in her head. It was not unlike her previous experiences where she had a huge hangover because of drinking too much alcohol the previous night. However, she always felt secure because Rick was always by her side and she knew that he'd always kiss her goodnight before she laid down. When Karen opened her eyes, she expected glasses to welcome her.

Well, glasses did welcome her. But the owner of them surprised her.

"Mary?"

The brunette stood up but then felt dizzy from the sudden movement. Gentle but firm hands quickly assisted her to a sitting position where she could easily see her friends.

"Elli?"

Karen turned to see Ann holding a tray right beside a sitting Mary. The redhead laid down her tray on the bedside table before pouring tea into a cup for her to drink. She gratefully took large sips from the warm drink before resting herself on the pillow again.

"What's going on, guys? I'm confused." Karen felt dazed but she was conscious enough of the girls' movement. She scanned the room to see their faces full of sadness and grief. She furrowed her brows before taking a deep breath.

It was Mary who first broke the silence. "Look, Karen. I don't want to burden you with any more pain because of your condition at the present time. But we can't waste our days when we can use them for something productive." The librarian pulled out a notepad and pen from her pocket and started jotting down notes fervently across the pages. For a while, the scratching of Mary's pen filled the silence in the desolate Clinic.

"Excuse me, girls. I'll go get Karen's records." Elli nodded before heading off to the Doctor's desk.

"Where is the Doctor anyway? Shouldn't he be in here checking up on me?" Karen asked playfully.

"Well, I asked the Doctor a few questions and some of it seemed to trouble him," Ann answered with a distant gaze, "then he just got up and walked outside. He left Elli in charge of the Clinic."

"What kind of questions did you ask?"

"The ones we'll be asking right now," answered Mary, her pen coming to a halt.

"I've got her records," Elli piped up as she closed the curtains for their cubicle. "You guys can start."

Mary adjusted her glasses and flipped another page on her notepad. "Alright then. Ann, fire away. We'll tell you when we need to stop and when we need to ask further questions but until then, you're the leader around here." The librarian nodded to Ann, who closed her eyes before facing Karen.

"Karen, do you remember the secret circle we used to do years ago?"

"I do. I remember it all too well." Karen closed her eyes as she suppressed the memories from flashing again before her eyes. "After all, Aja was my first friend around here…"

"We're operating again since we've been given a new case."

"I've guessed as much. I don't need to know who presented this mystery; I just need to know who's involved and why you need me. Only then can I feel free to talk again."

Ann fiddled in her shirt pocket and pulled out the sheet of paper Mary had given her just last night. She folded it out and carefully gave it to Karen.

"Primary people involved are Popuri, Kai and Claire. Additional details you need to know are written on that note. However, we've gathered information from various sources that there are secondary people involved."

"Through deduction and logic, we've arrived at the conclusion that you may be involved, Karen. After all, you fainted a while ago at the Supermarket just before Kai and Claire left." Mary's serious tone shook Karen out of her wide-eyed daze.

"Alright, alright." She was trying her best not to throw up, even though she hadn't eaten anything that day.

"I witnessed two strange events in the past week, and I'm not even sure if I saw them properly since I was pretty drunk both times. Whatever I tell you guys, please understand that I'm being completely honest with what I'm saying."

"Two strange events?"

"And they both occurred late at night," Karen affirmed. She was sure that the surprised look on the girls' faces would only turn grimmer by the minute.

"What is the first thing that you witnessed?"

"I can't remember when it exactly happened," Karen pondered, closing her eyes as she remembered the soft whispers and giggles. "I'm guessing it was around a few days ago. I had a huge fight with Rick that time because…" Tears started welling in her eyes as she closed off the memory from her mind.

Out of pure instinct, Mary held Karen's hand and squeezed it tightly, offering a warm smile as they both looked at each other. That small gesture helped Karenfocus more on the situation at hand and ignore the pain for a while.

"Well, I was really, _really _drunk that night. You might say I was confused, too, since I was headed for the beach but I ended up in the Goddess Pond. Goodness, I don't even know how I got there, so please don't ask that."

"So the scenario is that," Ann interjected, "after you got out of the Inn that night, you wandered off to the Goddess Pond without realizing it?"

"That's right," Karen replied, "and I thought I'd be all alone that night."

She took a deep breath. "I was scared, frightened, and all alone. I wanted to scream Rick's name out in the open but I couldn't find my voice. It's as if my body refused to be found by the one person I know who could have been looking for me that night."

"I decided to just stay in the Hot Springs cabin until morning so that I could sleep but I… suddenly heard footsteps approach the Pond."

"Footsteps?"

"Yes. Footsteps, I'm very sure of it. Instead of actually heading for the cabin, I decided to hide in the trees instead because the voices I heard neither belonged to Rick's."

"So there was a group of people that went to the hot springs?"

"No. Not a group, but a pair. And they weren't quiet about it either. It was as if… they felt free for once, you know? Like they could actually get away from it all and be free to do what they wanted for once.

"I wanted to approach them, tell them I needed help, but I couldn't because of what I saw. They were having the time of their life running around the grass and playing with the flowers. There was a point where they were even throwing something at the Pond, wishing for things they wanted.

"But it was getting late. And I really wanted to sleep, so I stepped away from my hiding place by the trees and that's when I saw them more clearly. The moonlight was reflected by the clear water in the pond and… and…"

"And? What did you see?"

"Long blonde hair… and a purple bandana."

Silence filled the room. Elli and Mary took comfort in it as they processed the information in their minds, while Ann was still deep in thought as to how she should proceed.

But for Karen, it was stifling. She didn't want to be in a state where there wasn't any noise. A noisy marketplace is more comfortable than a quiet clinic. Despite all the things she wanted to say, she could only force herself to say the next five words.

"I saw them again last night."

At the last sentence, the other girls looked up at Karen and turned their attention to the task at hand, pens ready at their fingertips.

"At the beach this time?"

"Yes. Rick and I got settled this time around but I needed time to think. I needed something to calm me down.

"I was staring at the ocean, as usual. But the tides got stronger as the night went by, so I forced myself to go to bed earlier before I thought of swimming along with the waves. You can't be too careful, right? I turned my back and headed to climb the stairs when I heard it.

"Giggles. I thought I was just traumatized by the event so I just shook it off at first. But the giggles got louder and I turned my head in their direction. I saw a trail of roses leading down to the lower part of the beach. Curiosity, or maybe pure intoxication, came over me and I followed the trail.

"You could say that I wasn't surprised when I saw them splayed over the sand with barely any clothes on. I already braced myself for the worst, but I couldn't hold myself. I felt utterly disgusted at the sight."

Karen took a deep breath and tried her best not to feel the same revulsion she had felt as she witnessed the provocative sight that night.

"I wasn't sure if they'd seen me. All I know is that I ran straight into my bedroom because I couldn't trust myself to tell Rick what I'd seen. Our marriage is already in trouble and I'm not sure I could take it if he ever left while he's angry at me."

All too fast, Karen remembered all the previous nights. Her staring at the ceiling, lying on just a side of the bed, praying it would soon end. But Rick didn't reach out as much now. She wondered if he felt the same way, as she turned around whenever he lay down, avoiding all forms of contact.

"Look, I don't want to sound insensitive but I'm just really concerned about you. What's happening between you and Rick?" Ann inquired.

Didn't he feel lonely like she did? Didn't he feel that she was in dire need of the comfort he always gave her when they were together?

"He's leaving. He's leaving me, Ann. If you ever heard the rumors of him setting sail to search for Rod, it's true. I support him, I really do, but I don't think I can much longer…"

This time, Karen couldn't stop herself from completely sobbing. All those lonely nights in her bed were nothing compared to the acceptance that she would always be alone when she slept. Now all she would have were memories of him. Pieces of him that would never be a perfect whole.

"He's out to look for his father… and he's not sure if he's coming back."

"But I thought he'd only go because he's going with Kai?"

Karen shook her head. "He's firmly set on going. Whether he's with Kai or not, he'll be boarding the ship soon."

"I'm so sorry, Karen. We just wanted clearer information regarding the matter. Your statements and suffering will not be in vain."

"It's alright." Karen faced the ceiling. "I completely understand."

Elli stood from her seat to check the patient's temperature and overall condition. After filling up the records, Elli proceeded in rubbing some warm water on Karen's body. "Would you like some soup, Karen?" Elli asked as she rubbed water on her weak body.

"Soup would be nice."

Elli nodded for the other girls to leave. She muttered something before they left, but Karen wanted nothing to do with their matters. She only wanted to rest easy for a while after being able to get things off her chest. She dozed off to dreamland and forgot her problems.

For now.

* * *

_I'm known around here as the strong-willed Karen…_

…_but I witness horrible things that weaken my soul._


End file.
